The Purge

The year is 2013 and the New Founding Fathers have instituted something called The Purge - a 12 hour window in which all crimes (including murder) are legal. This keeps the population relatively peaceful and the country crime free during the rest of the year.

The Sandin family lives in a well off community and their impressive house came courtesy of the security systems Mr. Sandin has sold to everyone and their grandmother. Some animosity about this is hinted at when one of the Stepford-esque neighbors brings over a plate of cookies for Mrs. Sandin for the upcoming lock down.

The couple just wants to sit out the next 12 hours in peace and quiet, not having any bottled up anger strong enough to make them go out an join in the killings. Their kids, however, make a few very bad decisions throughout the night. Daughter Zoey, who is your typical annoyed teenager, is seeing a young man who is referred to as considerably older than her (he doesn't look it, though), that her father forbade her to continue seeing. He tells her that he will state his case to Mr. Sandin and because of the lock down he will have no other choice but to listen. What he really is there to do is to shoot the man. Sandin, of course, is armed (just in case) and apparently the better shot. The shootout coincides with the family's son Charlie letting in a homeless man who is being hunted by participants in the purge and crying for help outside the house.

Soon a group of young people wearing masks is at the Sandin's front door and demands they release the homeless guy because it is their right to kill him and homelessness is not a desired state of being in this new reality. When the Sandin's fail to deliver the would be victim by the deadline given, the group rip off they main security door with a truck and proceed to hunt everybody within the house. Mr. Sandin falls victim to them in the battle spread out over the house. The last of the purgers still standing is killed by the helpful neighbors before he can do any more harm.

The neighbors, however, are not as friendly and helpful as they appear to be. Rather, they saw that the security system had been breached and smelled a chance to cleanse themselves of their hatred towards the Sandin family. Luckily, the thankful homeless stranger comes to their rescue and they Sandin family, together with four surviving neighbors and the homeless man sit out the rest of the night before everyone goes their merry way.

Interesting. Could have been better.

6/10

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Where to start with this mess?

Clary is not your normal young woman but rather a Shadowhunter which she only realizes when she starts drawing this symbol over and over. Turns out her mother is a Shadowhunter, too, that years ago stole and hid the Mortal Cup that everyone is after. One of the creepy guys that want it is one Valentine who learned to summon demons and went over to the dark side.

Then Clary gets attacked and saved and updated and armed. She crushes on Jace, another Shadowhunter, which will turn into this weird Luke/Leia thing later because, really, Valentine is both their father. There are also the aforementioned demons and werewolves and vampires and a witch but no zombies (because zombies are not real).

Also, Clary's friend Simon (who is, of course, in love with her) gets bitten by a vampire and only Clary knows and nothing ever comes of it, anyway. Not sure what the point of that was.

There is also some club hopping and double crossing and sword fights and half naked blond boys. And then there is the kitschy music moment and lots and lots of dopey dialogue.

What is really sad is that the wonderful Robert Sheehan is in this. What a waste.

Yeah, it's bad.

1/10

The Remains of the Day

This is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuo Ishiguro.

The story is set between the two world wars at Darlington Hall. Mr. Stevens (Anthony Hopkins) is the butler of the house, serving Lord Darlington (James Fox), who fancies himself a sort of mediator between his home country and Germany. Although a well-intentioned man, Lord Darlington will later be remembered as a friend of Nazi Germany.

The political discussions in the film, however, are merely the backdrop to the story of the servants and workers of the house, mainly Mr. Stevens and the housekeeper Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson), and their relationship...which could have been more than professional, were it not for the distant air of Mr. Stevens, who values his duties and loyalty above all else. Eventually, Miss Kenton leaves the house to marry.

Years later, after receiving a letter from her and after his Lordship has passed away and the house sold to an American congressman (Christopher Reeve, only a few years before his disastrous accident), Mr. Stevens takes a trip to meet with her to possibly arrange for her to come back into service at Darlington Hall.

The cast is impressive, to say the least. Along with the before mentioned Hopkins, Thompson, Fox and Reeve, it also features Hugh Grant and - in minor roles - Ben Chaplin and a young Lena Headly as a shy maid (a far cry from her turn as the scheming Queen Cersei on Game of Thrones).

A wonderful, wonderful film.

9/10